Demon's Triad (4 page)

The moon gave enough light to see clearly, but she lit the candles anyway. She wasn’t dependent on them for focus and usually left them out of her rituals, but tonight she needed all the help she could get. It had taken months to find this ancient spell, and the candles were listed as part of it. She wasn’t taking any chances. If she failed, it would be because of a lack of personal power, not because she was too rushed to follow the spell to the letter.

“Goddess, hear me,” she whispered, placing the candles carefully in a triangle on the ground in front of her, framing the root. She’d never seen candles in this pattern before, but the spell specifically designated that layout. “By flame and smoke, let my words be carried.”

She stood up, grabbing a handful of earth and sprinkling it over the candles. “By dirt and tree, let my words be carried.”

Next she sprinkled the blessed water over the candles, her words forming a soft mist in the magically charging air.

Aleeza knelt in front of the candles, her legs spread just enough for her hands to reach between them and stroke the soft, damp skin of her pussy. So many times in her life she’d tried this exact thing. She was an expert at finding the spots and pressure that pleased her most. She’d brought herself to the edge more times than she could count but had never been able to topple over. She would stroke herself until her muscles were strung tight and every inch of her body yearning, struggling toward that promised release, but she was always denied.

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Celibacy shouldn’t mean the Gunera shouldn’t at least have the comfort of pleasuring themselves. But maybe that was a side-effect her ancient ancestor hadn’t anticipated.

“My power burns,” she whispered, knowing that she had never spoken truer words in her life. Her power did burn, just as her body burned for the basic human right of pleasure that had been stolen from her and her people. “My power calls. Great Venus, hear me. Feel my energy call to you.”

The air around her changed, becoming heavier, thicker. Power pulsed through it, dancing against her raw skin. She felt exposed, exposed in a way she’d never been before, and she pulled her wet fingers away and reached beside her for the final spell ingredient.

The intense blue of her energy faded slightly as she picked up the bone. Robbing graveyards was not something she liked to do, especially not witches’ graveyards. If she’d been caught, she could have been punished. Severely. This bone, from one of the oldest Gunera bodies in the cemetery, thrummed with power as Aleeza picked it up and passed it through the candle. The oil she’d rubbed on the end earlier caught the flame. “Bone of the ancestors, soul of the ancestors,” she said softly. “Share your power with me.”

The fire faded immediately, and the bone was strangely cool against the slick skin of her pussy as she rubbed it gently against her clit. Only for a moment, just long enough to anoint it with her creamy fluids. The blue light flared again and the bone glowed. She passed it over the flames and watched as her fluid caught fire. The bone burned, the reddish flames mixing with her blue energy. Purple, the color of dark power. It was working. She watched the flame for a moment, aware of the enormity of her actions but more strongly aware of her body’s yearning. She was committed. If she stopped the spell now, it could be dangerous.

She didn’t want to stop. Her body still tingled and itched, her thighs slick. She reached down to spread her lips and stroke her sensitive flesh. Her hips jerked in anticipation.

Her fingers were slick now, slick with the hot fluids of her reckless need. She slipped one fingertip into her tight channel. Her muscles squeezed around it.

“Aphrodite, hear me.” It came out as a moan. “Great Eros, take my energy and give me what I desire.” Her thighs trembled as she continued sliding her finger in and out, adding a second. Her other hand kept its rhythm on her clit, in her folds, teasing herself.

She could not attempt an orgasm until the spell was done, but the temptation…the temptation was always there. If she was able to finish, she could do it so quickly.

Twenty-five years was a long fucking time, and she was more than ready.

“Herktar renula fazsia,” she whispered. “Eros, Venus, Aphrodite, hear me. Herktar renula fazsia. Herktar renula fazsia.” The words reverberated through her entire body, igniting her blood. The clearing brightened with her power, pure blue, making the trees look unreal. Her fingers quickened their pace, thrusting into her heat, rubbing her wet flesh. Her nipples ached and tingled, diamond hard in the cool swirling air.

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“By these words,” she cried out, her fingers working furiously now, her body twanging like a guitar string, “By my power, grant me my desire. Break this spell. Eros, break this spell. Harktar renula fazsia!”

The bone exploded in a shower of purple sparks. Her own power glowed so bright she closed her eyes. Pressure built inside her, a pressure she’d never felt before but knew instinctively was what she sought. What she needed. Her laughter bubbled over her lips, a triumphant cry, as her loins blazed with heat and her muscles trembled and ached.

Her hips pushed forward, the muscles of her walls clenching around her fingers.

Something deep inside her swelled, and every nerve ending in her body sang as Aleeza finally pushed herself into the first orgasm of her life.

She screamed, screamed from the pure, breathtaking glory of it, but her scream turned into something else as the blue light of her power was replaced by a flash of white, pure and clean, bleaching the trees and her own sweat-damp skin. She came again as an energy too sexual and primal to be anything but male forced itself into her body.

For a moment it was as if the power had kicked her out. She hovered somewhere in the air, watching herself spasm in great, curious detail. The delicate skin of her nipples was now pebbled and rough, her facial expression one of pure savage ecstasy, the fluid making her thighs slick.

Then she was back in herself, crumpling to the ground as the final wave of her orgasm finally abated.

Or was it really hers? She hadn’t been mistaken in feeling a man’s presence in her body, the thundering rush of a man’s savage release. Eros coming to take his due. She smiled.

Speaking of coming…

A sound half-laughter, half sob of relief pushed its way past her lips. It had been…indescribable, by far the most amazing thing she’d ever felt before in her life. No wonder orgasm had been cursed away from her coven. Why would anyone want to do anything else when they could do that? When they could feel so alive, so free, like a goddess?

The question was, could she do it again?

* * * * *

Dorand ignored the pain as his feet stumbled over rocks and sticks, ignored the scratches on his skin from wayward branches. Even as he forced himself to go faster, he knew it was likely too late. There hadn’t been a second scream. Whoever she was—

He didn’t want to think about it.

Off to his left he spied a faint blue glow. Without thinking, he turned toward it. It was evidence that another witch was in the woods tonight, probably Gunera coven.

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Their magic was tainted with color, usually blue, but more rarely green or yellow.

Whatever their color, they were all dangerous and dabblers in magic too gray for his tastes. It wouldn’t surprise him at all to find out that one of their gods-forsaken clan was responsible for the murders.

After all, the blue glow had come to him and Ferrin too. It had stolen their power, stolen their release, stolen Carantha. Even now their own power might be being used against another. All of the victims had been tortured with ritualistic black magic before their deaths.

“Not this night,” Dorand swore under his breath. He wouldn’t be too late, not for this woman. He would reach her in time and save her loved ones the pain he and Ferrin still suffered.

A soft laugh convinced him he was headed in the right direction. A woman. He had never stopped to think that the killer might be a woman but it was a definite possibility.

Evil didn’t discriminate between the sexes, and neither did black magic.

He suddenly wished Ferrin were behind him, that they hadn’t agreed to split up their search. Dorand was powerful, but taking down a witch who wouldn’t hesitate to call upon the black arts by himself, unclothed—and still partially erect—wasn’t an ideal situation.

Another sound, more like a moan now. It was very close, and he stopped, his heart pounding in his ears, waiting to track it.

He didn’t need the sound after all. When his eyes adjusted to the bright glow after the dim light of the trees, he saw her.

Only one woman, but his mouth still dropped open as his cock went from partially aroused to fully, screamingly erect, and his slowing heart sped once more.

She was completely naked, blue light playing softly over every luscious curve and plane of a body men would kill for. And Dorand could see very bit of that body, from her high, round breasts to the heaven lurking at her core because the woman was flat on her back. Her long legs were spread, and her fingers were playing gently in the soft crevice between them, sliding in and out, coaxing the blue and white light that flashed between her thighs into a bright, roaring flame.

A sex spell, she’s stolen our magic for a fucking ecstasy spell.

Dorand started toward the bitch, suddenly as angry as he was aroused. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do with the woman when he got his hands on her, but he
was
getting his hands on her—there was no doubt about that.

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Demon’s Triad

Almost there, god she was almost there again, and this time was going to be even better, she could feel it in every electric nerve ending in her body. Between her legs, sexual bliss and magic merged, sending her spiraling toward a height that felt almost dangerous. Would she survive the fall from that dizzying place?

She couldn’t wait to crash and find out.

“What the hell have you done?”

Aleeza screamed and pulled her hand away from her pussy as if it had burned her, bolting into a seated position. The superstitious part of her had half expected the spirits of her ancestors to seek vengeance upon her for what she had done, but she had never expected vengeance to come in the form of a naked giant of a man. He towered over her, not simply because she was lying down. The guy had to be pushing six and a half feet, and all of it was pure muscle.

His body was masculine perfection, every inch of him sculpted and hard…every inch. She’d seen photographs of aroused men but never viewed one in the flesh.

Goddess, it was achingly beautiful, a column of need with a tiny pearl of essence shining on top. Her pussy let forth a gush of cream simply from looking at it, and Aleeza could only imagine how she would respond if he were to touch her, to take her in his arms and press her against every hot inch of him.

“Answer me,” the man snapped, eyes she couldn’t quite name the color of flashing with rage. But his hair was sandy blond and his face a classic example of male beauty that would have done any ancient Greek statue proud.

Fuck. Her god was an Amiantos—he had to be. She’d been caught red handed.

Or…wet handed. Her fingers were drenched with her own juices. She had no idea if that was normal and hadn’t thought to give a shit until now. The man’s eyes dropped between her legs, taking in the slickness there with a hard swallow and a twitch of his swollen member.

Ah-ha. It seemed perhaps not all was lost.

“I was working a spell. What does it look like I was doing?” She kept her legs spread as she casually tossed her hair over her shoulder, trying to ignore the racing of her pulse in her throat. She could practically feel his hunger caressing her flesh, warm herself on the heat burning in his eyes, and it was almost impossible to keep from reaching her hand back down between her legs.

He wanted her—that was clear, and Aleeza knew in that instant that she was going to let him have her. Not only was it her way out, but it would be the ultimate test. If the 23

Anna J. Evans & December Quinn

spell was truly broken, she might be feeling that thick cock working inside her body in the next few minutes.

She shivered at the thought and let her knees drop open even wider.

“It looks like you were defiling a sacred space to get a fix.” His words were hard, but for some reason they excited her. But then, she always had enjoyed a good fight and Mr. Tall, Fair and Grumpy looked like he was spoiling for one. Well then, she was happy to oblige.

“What the fuck are you talking about, asshole?”

“You’re an ecstasy addict. Look at yourself. Even now you want to get those busy little fingers back between your legs. Don’t you?” He squatted down a few feet away and quickly snuffed out the candles with stiff, angry motions.

An ecstasy addict? She’d never seen a true addict be able to walk more than a few blocks without falling apart, let alone make their way all the way up into the woods of Amiantos nation bum-fuck. But if that was the conclusion he’d jumped to, it was fine with her.

“No, actually I’d like to get your cock between my legs. Wouldn’t you?” She grinned a wicked little grin and reached up to caress her own breast, moaning and squirming as she plucked at her nipple. She’d brought in three ecstasy addicts on robbery charges—they always turned to theft when money ran out for the sex-bliss potion—so she figured she could fake an addiction good enough to satisfy.

“Stop it. Have you no pride? You obviously have a great power. It doesn’t matter that your coven won’t claim you. You could still do something with your life and your magic.” He slapped her fingers away from her breast with a sharp crack of his hand that brought a real gasp of desire to her lips. Oh god yes, she wanted to see Adonis’ forceful side. She wanted to see it very, very badly.

“So you’re assuming I’m some homeless coven reject?” she asked, coming to her knees and running a fingernail down his cheek to trace the fullness of his luscious-looking bottom lip. He flinched but didn’t pull away and the raging erection between his legs began to look a little purple. That couldn’t be comfortable.